This invention relates to the field of computer programs, and, more particularly, to a computer diagnosis and maintenance program, incorporated in a screen saver program, that performs diagnoses and routine maintenance when the screen saver activates.
Computers often develop software and/or hardware problems because the user fails to periodically run diagnosis and maintenance programs to detect and correct such problems. Typically, computer users fail to run diagnoses and maintenance programs because of the inconvenience and time needed to run such programs. Therefore, what is needed is a diagnosis and maintenance program that will periodically perform diagnoses and routine maintenance without inconveniencing the user.
The present invention is a method and system of continuous diagnosis and maintenance of a personal computer for a computer having a screen saver program and a list of diagnosis/maintenance activities stored in its memory, comprising the steps of a) activating a diagnosis/maintenance program if the computer has been idle for a determined period of time, b) beginning diagnosis testing and maintenance, c) if the screen saver deactivates, and if the diagnosis/maintenance activity step is not critical, then ceasing diagnosis testing and maintenance, and d) if the diagnosis/maintenance activity step is critical, then finishing the diagnosis/maintenance activity step, and logging the results.